Money and Karma

Or, if we want to get a little more esoteric in our thinking, positive energy put forth can result in positive energy coming back to us. This may apply to money, like many other things in life. A little “New Age” personal finance for you, right here at Squirrelers 🙂

I had a couple of recent examples where being straightforward and above board in some money-related situations proved to be a good thing.

The Grocery Store

First of all, this example is not at all one that involved a lot of money. Keep in mind that it’s the bigger idea of integrity paying off that I’m exploring.

I was at the checkout aisle, and emptied the cart while the cashier was scanning items. Spinach, bananas, oatmeal….the items were scanned one by one. Then, the case of sparkling water I wanted to buy (in lieu of soda, which I gave up a few years ago) came up for the cashier to scan.

He tried to scan it, and nothing came up. Tried again, and once again didn’t the result he wanted. At that point, he turned me and asked me how much it was.

Instinctively, I told him how much I thought it was: $4 for the case. He seemed surprised, and said that sounded like a lot. He asked me if I was sure that it was $4.

I told him, yes – I’m pretty sure it was $4. Not 100% sure, but that’s the price I recall seeing.

The guy said that it seemed like a lot, and since he wasn’t sure of the price himself, he’ll just charge me $2.99 for it. I told him that I’d gladly pay $4 or wait for someone to verify the price. He told me, to my surprise, that I seemed honest by giving him a price that sounded reasonable or maybe a bit more, so he felt like he could just charge me $2.99 and all would be cool. If I had given him a low price, he would have gone to check.

In a subsequent trip to the store, I did see that the cases of sparking water were in fact $4 each. So, I was in effect “rewarded” for being honest (with no agenda) by getting a 25% discount.

Parking Garage

This example happened some time ago, but also illustrates how there can be some “good karma” in terms of money.

I had parked in a city garage on a day when parking was really tight, and the garage was basically full. This was a garage that had to be at least 6 or 7 stories high. On that day, people were circling around, driving up and down the garage to no avail when trying to get a spot. It took being lucky and being at the right place at the right time to swoop in when somebody got their car to leave.

So, I was fortunate to find a spot, and then stayed for a couple of hours. The cost would have over $25 if I recall, and the only reason I was there is because I had an interview. So, it was totally out of pocket for me. Not cheap!

The only thing is, I did something quite unusual for me: I lost the parking ticket. I normally don’t lose things like that very often at all, but that day I did. So, when trying to pay, I couldn’t the “autopay” machine and had to go to the customer service desk to explain that I had lost the ticket.

When I approached, the first thing out of the lady’s mouth – before I could say anything – was something to the effect of “did you have trouble finding a spot”?

She was probably going to waive the cost, I would think.

However, I told her that no, I actually did find a spot and was there for a few hours. The issue is that I unfortunately lost my ticket. So, I wanted to know if I could pay her since I had lost the ticket. Frankly, I was also worried that they would charge me for the day.

My worries were eased, as she mentioned that since I was being honest, she would just waive the cost and let me through. If I recall, an attendant let me get past the gate.

Now, perhaps she was lazy and didn’t want to deal with going through the process of charging me. Who knows. But the way it worked out was that my being straightforward and not playing games ended up rewarding me. In this case, it was a 100% discount!

Bottom Line: Being straightforward in situations where the could be some wiggle room to avoid spending could bring some good money karma that helps you anyway!

My Question for You

Do you have any examples how being straightforward and ethical have directly paid off in such ways?

When we were in Alaska, we stayed at a hotel and the A/C in our room didn’t work. (I know. Who needs A/C in Alaska, right?) So I call the front desk and they did send up fans but it was still pretty warm. So on checkout, I asked about a discount. I suggested 10% off the bill but the desk clerk said since we didn’t bitch and moan like some other people did, they gave us one full day off the bill.

So true this is and not only with money but everything else as well. Good things always comes back to you. There’s a reason they say that honesty is the best policy.
I remember once I was buying groceries and I happened to stumble upon expired items, when I made the staff aware, I got a free box of chocolates.

I believe that ethical conduct does not always lead to benefit, but that unethical conduct always leads to ruin. Most people expect to be treated the right way, and if you don’t they feel betrayed and very angry. So being ethical and straightforward results in more loyal relationships.

Those are great stories and worth emulating. Being honest and sticking to the truth is always the best thing to do. I gave $100 to a cashier but instead of giving me back a change of $40, he gave me $60. I returned the $20 and told him about the mistake and he profusely thanked me. The smile on his face is priceless!

Wealth-Building Financial Lessons

Disclaimer

We are well meaning folks that are not investment professionals or financial advisors. Please feel free to have fun here, and take this information in the spirit of entertainment, as it is not financial or legal advice, For that, seek an appropriate professional. Your actual financial decisions are your own responsibility. Thank you.